The government says ID cards will help protect people from identity fraud, tackle illegal immigration, stop people who are not eligible from using public services and disrupt criminal and terrorist activities. The plan has faced strong opposition from rival political parties, the media and human rights activists.

"There really should be no objection to a national ID card as long as the information stored is secure, used for the right purposes and doesn't aid the creation of a Big Brother State. We all carry umpteen cards around with us in any case, including bank cards, driving licences and National Insurance cards. Eight out of every ten members of the general public support the idea, and it's great news that the security industry mirrors that opinion. It's true that the cost of implementing the scheme is something of an unknown, but can we afford not to do so in an era when our national security is continually under threat?" says Brian Sims, editor of Security management today.

"One need only point to the recent 'scandal' involving Security Industry Authority licences being issued to illegal immigrants and those without a lawful right to work in the UK. If a national ID card had been in place and rigidly enforced then incidents like this, which are hugely damaging to the Government's credibility, could be avoided" he continued.

"With the threat of terrorism still high, instances of ID theft rising and the vast extent of illegal immigration in the UK at the moment, it seems more and more people are coming round to the idea of ID cards. Many other European countries already have official ID cards, and it seems the security industry here are behind the scheme" commented James Blue, event director of IFSEC.

*In a poll of 1404 visitors to the IFSEC website (www.ifsec.co.uk), when asked "Do you think an ID card is necessary if you already have a passport?", 952 people responded "Yes".